Water taxis to make grand entrance at culture hub

Ayra Wang

Visitors will be able to access the West Kowloon Cultural District more easily by taking water taxis and getting off outside M+ Museum by the end of the year, says WKCD Authority chief executive Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee.

A new route between Central Pier 8 and the hub's southern landing facility - which is now under construction - will commence service by then, Fung said.

"It will take just minutes to travel from Central to WKCD with the new route, helping to attract more tourists and locals to visit," she said.

It is understood that the government will appoint a ferry company to run the route, which will operate from noon until evening in its initial stage. Ferries may also be decorated with artistic elements.

The authority will seek the cooperation of cruise companies, hotels and the tourism sector to increase visits to the district, Fung added.

On other WKCD issues, Fung estimated that its recurrent operating deficit, excluding interest income, should be around HK$1 billion for fiscal year 2024-25, similar to last year.

The underlying operating deficit, including interest income, for fiscal year 2023-24 was HK$578 million, a 20 percent decline from a year ago.

Ticket sales, rent and event sponsors each accounted for a third of operational revenue.

Revenue from ticket and museum merchandise sales fell by 20 percent last year because of an exceptionally strong performance from the year before with the Sanxingdui and Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama exhibitions, Fung said.

She expects income from exported exhibitions and performances in the future, with a successful example being Kusama's exhibition, which brought in more than HK$10 million.

The first WestK Shanghai Week will be held in June and an include exhibition featuring architect Ieoh Ming Pei and the musical The Impossible Trial.

Having deployed an effective strategy for cost cutting and revenue expansion, the district's HK$21.6 billion reserve will dry up by the end of this year - six months later than forecast. It has obtained a HK$5 billion sustainability-linked loan facility as well.

M+ Museum recorded over 2.6 million visitors while Hong Kong Palace Museum saw one million visitors, over 60 percent of whom were tourists.

To support district operations, the government has allowed it to sell around 170,000 square meters of residential development.

The authority plans to apply to the Town Planning Board for permission to enact its residential development plan in the first quarter, Fung said.

The authority earlier outlined a development plan to build seven residential buildings, which would provide up to 1,995 flats and is estimated to bring in HK$10 billion. Fung expects the application to go through subsequent processing by the end of the year before it is delivered to the Development Bureau for further review. She admitted that the time needed to get final approval remains uncertain.

The district will hold seven exhibitions this year, including one featuring Taiwanese-born American artist Lee Mingwei creating a sand painting based on Picasso's Guernica.

The Palace Museum will stage the city's first major Islamic art exhibition in June and showcase 110 artworks of the ancient Mughal Empire in August.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com